Penelope Garcia, ever the optimist
by heatqueen
Summary: WARNING - Season 6 spoilers! This is set at the moment where Garcia is having her assessment with Hotch. Short, but  in my opinion  deep - please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Penelope Garcia, Ever the Optimist**

**WARNING: Season 6 spoilers!**

**Summary: This is set in the bit where Garcia is in Hotch's office having her assessment after what happened to Emily.**

**A/N: Please R&R!**

"Can we talk about the times she made me smile?"

Garcia sat on the couch in Hotch's office, her hands trembling and her voice hoarse. It was obvious that she was trying not to burst into tears, though she'd never been one for bottling up emotion. Hotch watched her dejected physique and felt a wave of guilt and sorrow crash over him as he knew that it was within his power to end her misery, but that he would never do it. It was a choice between putting his team through hell, or killing Emily Prentiss for real.

It was tough to see what was usually such a bright bubble of joy crumble into despair and grief. Garcia wore her usual bright colours and heavy make-up, but she wasn't pulsating with positive energy like she usually did. For someone with such a huge heart it was not fair that she had to go through this. Garcia had always been the team's idealist, the one who found hope in even the toughest of situations, but even she couldn't find hope in this one. There was no bringing back a dead woman. That's why Hotch had to fight so hard to hold his tongue, because Emily wasn't actually dead.

Even so, he was amazed at her statement, because even now, when the worst had happened, she still only wanted to talk about the good times. She didn't want to go near talking about the way Emily died, but only wanted to think of the positive memories they'd made together. Even when her eyes welled up with tears as she stared for the thousandth time at that photo of Emily, Garcia wouldn't state how unfair it was that Emily had taken away, or how angry she was at Doyle for killing her. Instead she would talk about what an amazing agent and friend she had been: all the live she had saved; all the people whose lives she had touched upon and changed for the greater good.

Hotch prayed that one day Doyle would be gone for good and then maybe he could bring Emily back again, because Garcia, as well as the rest of the team, didn't deserve to lose her – and also, because it was killing him. He was certain that one day the truth would come to light, and that the whole team would never forgive him and JJ for what they'd done. Indeed, such a sensitive soul as Garcia would be twice as overwhelmed as anyone else, but he hoped that she would see only positivity in Emily's return, and be overjoyed rather than angry.

After all, positivity was Penelope Garcia's strong point.


	2. Chapter 2

**Penelope Garcia, Ever the Optimist (Part 2)**

**WARNING: Season 6 spoilers!**

**A/N: I decided to make a part 2 to this fic in an imagined scenario involving Emily's return. I hope you enjoy it. Please R&R!**

It was a pinpoint moment, where an ordinary day became an extraordinary one. The agents had all been going about their days as usual, and Penelope Garcia had been sitting in her office with her 'babies', searching for anything that might connect the victims. So far the search appeared to be void and Garcia was on the verge of frustration.

Then the e-mail came; the one that changed everything.

Ian Doyle was dead.

It wasn't that particular second when everything changed. All it brought was closure that justice had finally been served for the death of their deceased friend, Emily Prentiss. So Garcia took a moment to have a break from work and reminisce. Sadness welled in her heart, though now it wasn't as unbearable as when she'd first heard the news. As time had passed she'd learned to move on and, while life had never been the same again, she'd learned to adapt to a new way of living – a life without Emily in it.

Then she heard a shriek somewhere outside followed by squeals of joy, though she couldn't quite hear what was being said. Curious, she closed the e-mail and left her office, following the source of two female voices which were coming from upstairs. As she drew nearer, she pinpointed JJ's voice speaking in excited chatter, as though some triumph had occurred. Then the other voice replied, and caused Garcia to stop in her tracks right outside a door, her heart thumping hard as she realized that what she was hearing couldn't possibly be true.

The second voice was Emily.

Emily Prentiss was dead.

She didn't quite dare to believe it. Raising a shaking hand, she gave the door a tentative knock. The voices instantly hushed and, after a moment, JJ slowly opened the door, a smile spread wide on her face.

Garcia found she could hardly speak.

"Wh – what's going on?" she squeaked.

JJ's look changed from elation to an odd mixture of happiness and guilt. She opened the door wider and let Garcia in. As Garcia entered the room she came face to face with someone she hadn't seen in several years. Her jaw dropped in disbelief.

It was really happening. Emily Prentiss wasn't dead.

"You – but – I can't believe…" she stammered.

Lost for words, she launched herself into Emily, embracing her as she burst into cascades of tears. She wrapped her arms around Emily, breathing in her scent to make sure it wasn't some kind of hallucination. Then, as she drew back, she saw the guilty look on JJ's face and felt a wave of anger.

"You told us she was dead!" she accused, her eyes still streaming. "You told us she – and – you knew the entire time! How could you do this to us?"

At this point JJ, too, was crying and Emily looked overwhelmed.

"I'm so sorry, Garcia, I didn't mean to hurt you," JJ replied. "There was no choice, please understand I had to do this!"

As she saw JJ's sincerity, Garcia couldn't find it in her heart to continue to be angry. She lowered herself onto a sofa, gazing up at the two agents, still feeling overwhelmed but happy that Emily was back.

"It's wonderful to see you again, PG," said Emily.

At the sound of her voice, Garcia knew that this wasn't just a dream, or a hallucination. Emily was really back, and Garcia could only allow herself to be happy about it. In this moment there was no room to be angry at her deception – the time for questioning would come later. No, this was a moment of celebration and Garcia was determined to make the most of it.

After all, it wasn't every day that your best friend came back from the dead.


End file.
